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FORE:307 Elsewhere, Frederick, speaking of these two winter campaigns, says: ��Winter campaigns are bad, and should always be avoided, except in cases of necessity. The best army in the world is liable to be ruined by them. I myself have made more winter campaigns than any general of this age. But there were reasons. In 1740 there were hardly above two Austrian regiments in Silesia, at the death of the Emperor Charles VI. Being determined to assert my right to that duchy, I had to try it at once, in winter, and carry the war, if possible, to the banks of the Neisse. Had I waited till spring, we must have begun the war between Crossen and Glogau. What was now to be gained by one march would then have cost us three or four campaigns. A sufficient reason, this, for campaigning in winter. If I did not succeed in the winter campaigns of 1742, a campaign which I made to deliver Moravia, then overrun by Austrians, it was because the French acted like fools, and the Saxons like traitors.��64

FORE:124 The Crown Prince, either deeply touched with penitence or affecting to be so, again threw himself upon his knees before his father, as if imploring pardon. The king continued:

FORE:One evening, being too unwell to read his usual devotions, he called upon his valet de chambre to read prayers. In the prayer occurred the words, ��May God bless thee.�� The servant, not deeming it respectful to use thee in reference to the king, took the liberty to change the phrase, and read it, ��May God bless you.�� The king, exasperated, hurled something at the head of the speaker, exclaiming, ��It is not so; read it again.�� The terrified servant, not conceiving in what he had done wrong, read again, ��May God bless you.�� The irascible monarch, having nothing else he could grasp, took off his night-cap and threw it into the man��s face, exclaiming, ��It is not so; read it over again.�� The servant, frightened almost out of his senses, read for the third time, ��May God bless you.�� ��Thee, rogue,�� shouted the king. ����May God bless thee.�� Dost thou not know, rascal, that, in the eyes of God, I am only a miserable rascal like thyself?��He was particularly fond of dogs of the graceful greyhound breed, and might often be seen with book and pencil in his hand, in the shady walks, with three or four Italian greyhounds gamboling around him, apparently entirely absorbed in deep meditation. A page usually followed at a short distance behind, to attend his call. At twelve o��clock he dined with invited guests. As quite a number of distinguished men always met at his table, and the king was very fond of good living, as well as of the ��feast of reason and the flow of soul,�� the repast was frequently prolonged until nearly three o��clock. At dinner he was very social, priding himself not a little upon his conversational powers.

FORE:��I will not see him. There was a time when I would have listened to a compromise. That time has passed. I have now entered into arrangements with France. Talk to me no more.��General Seidlitz, with five thousand horsemen, immediately dashed in among them. Almost in an instant the shouts of victory458 sank away in groans of death. It was an awful scene��a maelstrom of chaotic tumult, shrieks, blood, and death. The stolid Russians refused to fly. The Prussians sabred them and trampled them beneath their horses�� feet until their arms were weary. This terrible massacre lasted until one o��clock. The whole of the western portion of the quadrilateral was destroyed. The Russian soldiers at a little distance from the scene of carnage, reckless and under poor discipline, broke open the sutlers�� brandy-casks, and were soon beastly drunk. The officers, endeavoring to restrain them, dashed in many of the casks. The soldiers, throwing themselves upon the ground, lapped the fiery liquid from the puddles. They killed many of their own officers, and became almost unresisting victims of the sabres and bayonets of their assailants. The Prussians, exasperated by the awful acts of cruelty which had been perpetrated by the Russians, showed no mercy. In the midst of the butchery, the word ran along their lines, ��No quarter.��

FORE: